When Jodi Suchoplas helps her dad castrate, she is usually the one holding down the testes while he applies the band.
That’s why she decided to design her product, TestiGrip.
TestiGrip was created to look like a hand and to hold the testes firmly, without the need for a second person while you are banding.
“With time, I produced my product TestiGrip, and I made it a similar shape to a hand pinching, and I wanted it so it could slide on and off easily to secure both testes down,” Suchoplas said.
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Suchoplas said the design process took her around a year, with multiple rounds of testing.
“We tested it on all of our own bull calves and the thickness of the plastic that’s facing in the slot, everything had to be correct, or it just wouldn’t fit on and the band wouldn’t be sitting in the right position.”
She said this product helps ensure the placement of the band.
“Benefits include not applying the band too high, not catching any teats, and also making sure that both testes are secure. If you miss one, then you have a belly nut, and then you have huge market losses,” Suchoplas said. “And it’s just easier on the animal. You can process them quicker, get them back to the mother, the mother’s calm, and then move on to the next one.”
There’s also the mini TestiGrip, which is designed for lambs, kid goats or miniature goats.
At Ag in Motion’s innovation awards on Monday night, TestiGrip won the Innovation Award for Livestock.
Suchoplas said it was a big honour to have won.
“I was quite nervous and intimidated by the experience,” she said. “There was so many good competitors. And I didn’t know how it would turn out, but I just wanted to push myself into that experience and see, and when I saw the votes going up, I was like, ‘wow, we did it!’”
Because of her win, Suchoplas is now also competing in Ag in Motion’s Farmer’s Choice Award.
For the future, Suchoplas said she wants to continue to work to get TestiGrip in with more retailers.
“I’d like to see it being sold into the United States. This year, I was happy to get some retailers in the United Kingdom which I’m very excited about, and just hopefully further in the future get it into more countries.”
